Orquigonia is a private orchid reserve at kilometre 206 of the road into Cobán, open every day from 7:00 a.m. The entry fee is published two ways: Q30 on the Ministry of Culture’s listing (July 2026) and Q75 on the reserve’s own blog (April 2024). CONAP, the protected-areas council, registers it as the Reserva Natural Privada Centro de Conservación Orquigonia, declared in 2012 and covering 1,057 hectares. The visit is a guided walk along a 1,000-metre trail with nine interpretive stations and a birdwatching tower.
The main facts here come from three official or first-hand sources: CONAP’s SIGAP tourism page for the reserve, the Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes’ SIC listing (modified 30 July 2026), and Orquigonia’s own blog, which the address orquigonia.com redirects to. They do not agree on the fee, the closing time or the species counts, so each figure below names its source and date.
Tours from Cobán
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The fee: two published figures
| Published by | Date | Entry per person | ~USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes, SIC listing | Modified 30 Jul 2026 | Q30 (general entry) | ~$3.93 |
| Orquigonia’s own blog | Post of 9 Apr 2024 | Q75 | ~$9.82 |
| CONAP SIGAP page | No date on the page | Not published | — |
The Ministry’s figure is the more recent; the reserve’s is its own. We found no page from Orquigonia dated 2025 or 2026 with a price, so we cannot tell you which one the gate charges today. Call the reserve (CONAP lists 4740-2224) or budget for the higher figure. USD at Banguat’s Q7.64136 per dollar, 2 October 2026.
Hours
| Source | Days | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CONAP SIGAP page | Monday to Sunday | 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Orquigonia blog (Apr 2024) | Every day | 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Ministry SIC listing (Jul 2026) | Monday to Sunday | 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. |
All three agree it opens daily at 7:00. Two say it closes at 5:00 p.m., the most recent says 4:00 p.m.; arrive before 4:00 p.m. to be safe.
What the visit is
| Feature | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Orchid trail | 1,000 m, guided by specialist guides | CONAP |
| Interpretive stations | 9, on orchid diversity, history, beauty and threats | CONAP; SIC (a stone path) |
| Orchid species | More than 730 (CONAP); more than 792 (Orquigonia, 2024) | CONAP; Orquigonia |
| Birdwatching tower | Yes; Orquigonia puts it at 1,500 m above sea level, looking over the Sierra de Chamá | CONAP; Orquigonia |
| Bird species recorded | 150 (CONAP); more than 160 (Orquigonia, 2024) | CONAP; Orquigonia |
| Guides | Q’eqchi’ people trained by Orquigonia as community and local guides | CONAP |
CONAP adds that Orquigonia belongs to the Viviente Verapaz community and ecotourism association, with 23 other partners in the region.
What to bring
CONAP’s own list for the reserve: comfortable shoes (trekking shoes preferred), drinking water, a cap or hat, sunglasses, insect repellent, and a light sweater or jacket.
Getting there
| From | Route | Time | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cobán town | Back along the Las Verapaces road to km 206, sector Vuelta del Triunfo | About 15 minutes | SIC |
| Guatemala City | CA-9 Norte, then CA-14 (the Las Verapaces road) to km 206, at Chicuxab, Cobán | About 4 hours | CONAP |
Because it sits on the main road before Cobán, you can stop on the way in or out. For buses into Cobán, see Guatemala City to Cobán.
Where to sleep: Cobán
Orquigonia is a short hop from Cobán, a base for this and the other day trips on this page. Live availability:
Where to stay in Cobán
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Pair it with
- Grutas del Rey Marcos — a guided cave walk near San Juan Chamelco, 14 km from Cobán
- Hun Nal Ye — river pools and a cenote in San Pedro Carchá (book ahead)
- Biotopo del Quetzal — cloud-forest trails on the same CA-14 road, at km 160.5 per CONAP
- Candelaria caves · Laguna Lachuá
- Alta Verapaz · All Guatemala activities
Sources read 3 October 2026: CONAP turismo-SIGAP page for the Reserva Natural Privada Centro de Conservación Orquigonia (undated), Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes SIC listing (modified 30 July 2026), Orquigonia blog post of 9 April 2024. Every figure above is dated to the page it came from.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Orquigonia cost?
The published figures disagree. The Ministerio de Cultura y Deportes’ SIC listing (modified 30 July 2026) gives Q30 per person general entry. Orquigonia’s own blog, in a post dated 9 April 2024, gives Q75 per person. CONAP’s page for the reserve publishes no fee. Expect to pay at least Q30 and ask before you go; at Banguat’s reference rate of Q7.64 per dollar (2 October 2026), Q30 is about $3.93 and Q75 about $9.82.
What are Orquigonia's opening hours?
Every day. CONAP’s page and Orquigonia’s own 2024 post give 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; the Ministry’s SIC listing (July 2026) gives 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. If you arrive in the afternoon, plan on the earlier closing time.
Where is Orquigonia?
At kilometre 206 of the road to Las Verapaces (CA-14), in the Vuelta del Triunfo sector of Cobán municipality, Alta Verapaz. The Ministry says it is about 15 minutes from Cobán town, and CONAP estimates 4 hours from Guatemala City via the CA-9 Norte.
What do you see on the Orquigonia tour?
A guided walk on a 1,000-metre trail with nine interpretive stations about orchids, their history and the threats they face, per CONAP, which counts more than 730 orchid species in the reserve. There is also a birdwatching tower; CONAP records 150 bird species there, and Orquigonia’s own 2024 post says more than 160.
Is Orquigonia a protected area?
Yes. CONAP lists it as a Reserva Natural Privada, the Centro de Conservación Orquigonia, declared in 2012 and covering 1,057 hectares, inside the Verapaces route of the national protected-area system (SIGAP). It is privately administered by Orquigonia.
